Brief Summary of the Invention
[0001] This invention relates to glassware forming machines, and more particularly to a
cooling system for the mold members of such a machine for forming glass bottles.
[0002] This invention is especially directed to cooling systems for the mold members of
glassware forming machines of the type such as shown in U.S. patents 3,849,101, 4,251,253,
4,361,434, 4,388,099 and 4,561,875 wherein air is blown through passages in the mold
members for cooling them, among the several objects of the invention being the provision
of an improved simplified, compact system for delivering air to the mold members for
upward flow of air through the air passages therein allowing for their swinging toward
and away from one another between their open and closed positions, providing for relatively
low restriction to flow of air and relatively uniform and efficient cooling of the
mold members for production of glassware (especially bottles) at relatively high speed
with relatively few defects, relatively low energy consumption in blowing air, and
relatively low noise levels; and the provision of such a system wherein wear of parts
is reduced for longer life of the system.
[0003] In certain respects the invention involves an improvement over the cooling system
disclosed in U.S. patent application Serial No. 010,483 of James A. Bolin, filed as
a continuation of U.S. patent application Serial No. 859,644, filed May 5, 1986, said
applications being incorporated herein by reference.
[0004] In general, the invention is embodied in a glassware forming machine comprising a
pair of carriers each pivoted on a generally vertical fixed first axis for swinging
movement toward and away from each other between an open position and a closed position,
and a plurality of mold members carried by each carrier, each mold member on each
carrier being related to a mold member on the other so that, with the carriers in
the closed position, each mold member on one carrier mates with a mold member on the
other to define a mold cavity for molding an item of glass. Each mold member has air
passages extending upwardly from the bottom thereof for passage of air therethrough
for cooling. Means is provided for blowing air through said air passages comprising
a plenum carried by each carrier for delivering air to the air passages of the mold
members carried by the carrier, the mold members extending up from the plenum and
the plenum having ports at the top thereof for flow of air up into the passages in
the mold members and thence up through and out of said passages, means providing a
chamber below said carriers for air to be blown into the plenums and thence up through
said air passages, and means for delivery of air from said chamber means to each plenum
allowing swing of the carriers. The delivery means comprises, for each carrier, means
defining an air outlet at the top of the chamber means. The air outlet means has a
generally flat top with an opening therethrough in communication with said chamber
for delivery of air from said chamber up through said opening. A generally flat circular
closure overlying the opening in the top of said outlet means is oscillable on its
center on a generally vertical axis spaced from the carrier axis, and said closure
and the top of the outlet means have annular surfaces centered in the closure axis
inhibiting air from escaping at the periphery of the closure from between the closure
and the top of the outlet means. The closure has a circular hole extending therethrough
from its top to its bottom spaced from its axis. The plenum has a bottom wall with
an opening therein, and air duct means is provided for flow of air from the outlet
to the plenum having a generally horizontal section, an inlet end section extending
down from one end thereof into the hole in the closure and an outlet end section extending
up from the other end thereof to the opening in the bottom wall of the plenum. The
inlet end section is in communication at its lower end with said outlet, and the inlet
end section and said closure are relatively rotatable in generally sealed relation
with respect to the circular hole in the closure. The outlet end section is relatively
rotatable in generally sealed relation with respect to the opening in the bottom wall
of the plenum. The circular closure is oscillable on its axis through an angle in
one direction from a first position to a second position on swinging of the respective
plenum with the respective carrier from open to closed position and back in the opposite
direction to its first position on swinging of the respective plenum with the respective
carrier back to open position, air flowing up from said outlet passing directly upwardly
through the inlet end section to the horizontal section, thence through the horizontal
section, and thence up through the outlet end section of the air duct means to the
plenum throughout the oscillation of the closure.
[0005] In a modification, the mold members are of a type for molding a blank to be transferred
to molding means for forming the blank into a container, and the machine has means
for molding the blank with a neck for the container and a finish on the neck. The
neck-molding means comprises a pair of mating neck mold halves one of which fits in
one of said mold members and the other of which fits in the other of said mold members
at the lower end thereof. The neck mold halves when closed define a cavity for the
molding of the neck and the finish. Each of the neck mold halves has a plurality
of grooves extending vertically in the periphery thereof, and each of said mold members
has passages extending inwardly from respective air passages therein to the grooves
in the periphery of the neck mold halves for flow of air from said respective air
passages to the grooves and thence down in the grooves and out at the bottom of the
mold members for cooling the neck mold halves.
[0006] Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0007]
Fig. 1 is a plan, with parts broken away and shown in section, of the mold side of
an individual section of a glassware forming machine in which the present invention
is embodied, the mold carriers and mold members on the mold side of said section of
the machine being shown in closed position;
Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with the mold members removed showing the mold
carriers in open position;
Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section generally on line 3--3 of Fig. 1;
Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section similar to Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail section;
Fig. 6 is an enlargement of part of Fig. 4;
Fig. 7 is a horizontal section generally on line 7--7 of Fig. 3;
Fig. 8 is a horizontal section generally on line 8--8 of Fig. 3;
Fig. 9 is a view in section showing a modification;
Fig. 10 is a bottom plan (on line 10--10 of Fig. 11) of a set of blank mold halves
and neck mold halves which may be used with a cooling system of this invention, and
with special provision for cooling the neck mold halves;
Fig. 11 is a view generally on line 11--11 of Fig. 10, showing one of the blank mold
halves and one of the neck mold halves in elevation;
Fig. 12 is a vertical section of a blank mold half per se generally on line 12--12
of Fig. 10; and
Fig. 13 is a vertical section of a neck mold half generally on line 13--13 of Fig.
10.
[0008] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several
views of the drawings.
Description of the Preferred Embodiments
[0009] Referring to Figs. 1-8 of the drawings,, the invention is illustrated as it is embodied
on what is called the "mold side" of an individual section of a cyclically operating
glassware forming machine of the individual section type, such as referred to in the
above-noted U.S. patent 4,561,875 and in said Bolin U.S. patent applications, for
cooling the mold members in which a parison or blank, formed on the parison or blank
molding side of the section, is blown to form the final product, e.g. a bottle. The
invention may also be embodied in the blank molding side of a section for cooling
the blank mold members on that side. As illustrated in Fig.1, the stated section of
the glassware forming machine is of the type referred to as a triple gob section,
comprising three pairs 1, 3 and 5 of mold members for molding three bottles at a time,
each member constituting a mold half. It will be understood that the invention is
applicable to glassware forming machine sections other than a triple gob section,
e.g. a two-gob section. The two members of the first pair are designated 1A and 1B,
the two members of the second pair are designated 3A and 3B and the two members of
the third pair are designated 5A and 5B. The three mold members 1A, 3A and 5A are
carried by a carrier 7A and the three mold members 1B, 3B, 5B are carried by a carrier
7B, the carriers being pivoted on a first and fixed generally vertical axis indicated
at A1 for swinging movement toward and away from each other between the closed position
in which they are illustrated in Fig. 1, wherein mold members 1A and 1B, 3A and 3B,
5A and 5B and closed on each other for the blow molding of a blank into a bottle in
each of the closed pairs of members, and the open position in which they are illustrated
in Fig. 2, wherein the two mold members of each pair of mold members are spaced from
each other for entry therebetween of blanks and for removal of completed bottles.
The carriers 7A and 7B are pivoted on a vertical shaft 9 which extends up from the
top of a base 11 of the stated individual section of the glasware forming machine,
suitable mechanism well-known in the art being provided for cyclically swinging the
carriers between their open and closed positions for the bottle molding process.
[0010] Each mold member 1A, 1B, 3A, 3B, 5A and 5B constitutes a mold half, having a cavity
13 therein which is shaped in accordance with the shape of a bottle to be formed so
that, with the two mold halves brought together in closed position, the cavities of
the two halves define the shape of the wall and part of the neck of the bottle. At
the bottom, the two mold halves of each pair closes on a mold bottom member 15 as
well known in the art. The bottom of the bottle is formed against the mold bottom
member 15, and the bottle is supported on the latter when the mold halves open. Each
mold half has a generally arcuate peripheral wall 17 having air passages such as
indicated at 19 and 21 extending upwardly from the bottom thereof, each of these passages
opening into the ambient atmosphere at its upper end for passage of air through the
passages for cooling the mold half, the air exiting into the ambient atmosphere from
the upper ends of the passages. Passages 19 constitute an inner group of passages
extending from bottom to top of the mold half on part of an inner circle. Passages
21 constitute an outer group of passages in an enlarged-diameter lower part 23 of
the mold half on part of an outer circle, these passages opening into the ambient
atmosphere at the top of said lower part 23 (see Fig. 3).
[0011] Means designated 25 in its entirety is provided for blowing air through the air passages
19 and 21 in both the open and closed positions of the mold halves, comprising a plenum
27 carried by each of the carriers 7A and 7B. The mold halves 1A etc. carried on each
carrier extend up from the plenum on that carrier, the plenum having ports 29 (see
Figs. 2 and 3 at the top thereof for flow of air up into the passages 19 and 21 in
the mold halves on the plenum and thence up through and out of the passages. Each
plenum has a relatively shallow inner section 31 and a relatively deep outer section
33, these sections having a common flat top wall 35, this wall and other walls of
the plenum defining a plenum chamber 47. At the inside, the plenum is of scalloped
formation having three scallops each designated 49, one for each of the three respective
mold halves carried on the plenum. Each mold half has a reduced-diameter lower end
portion 51 which fits in a respective scallop as appears in Fig. 3. At the upper end
of the reduced-diameter lower end portion, each mold half has an outwardly extending
downwardly facing flat horizontal shoulder portion 53 which seats on the top wall
of the respective plenum around the respective scallop. The passages 19 and 21 extend
upward from this shoulder, and each of the ports 29 is constituted by an arcuate slot
in the top wall 35 of the plenum adjacent the respective scallop. Each mold half
is removably associated in suitable manner with the respective plenum with the lower
ends of the passages 19 and 21 of the mold half in register with a respective slot
29. Extending up from the top wall 35 of each plenum are studs 55 and 57 by means
of which the plenum is secured to parts 59 and 61 on the respective carrier or arm
7A, 7B. Each mold half is associated with a respective part 59, 61 as indicated 63
and 65 in Fig. 3.
[0012] As previously described, the shaft 9 on which the carriers or arms 7A, 7B are pivoted
extends up from the base 11 of the stated section of the glassware forming machine,
this base being formed to provide and thereby constituting means providing a chamber
67 for air to be blown into the plenums and thence up through the passages 19 and
21 in the mold halves 1A etc. both when they are in their closed position and when
they are in their open position. The base with the chamber 67 therein is sometimes
referred to as the "wind box" of the machine. The chamber is supplied with air by
a blower (not shown) in a manner well known in the art. Means indicated generally
at 69 is provided for delivery of air from the chamber to each plenum 27, this means
being such as to allow swinging of the carriers 7A, 7B, and comprising for each plenum
(i.e.for each carrier 7A,7B) means indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral
71 defining an outlet at the top of the base 11 for delivery of air from the air
chamber 67. At 73 is generally indicated a closure in the form of a flat circular
disk oscillable on a fixed generally vertical center or axis indicated at A2 spaced
from the carrier axis A1, this closure having a circular hole 75 extending therethrough
from its top to its bottom spaced from axis A2. The bottom wall of the plenum has
a circular opening 77 therein, the axis of this opening being indicated at A3.
[0013] At 79 is generally indicated means which may be referred to as air duct means for
flow of air from the outlet 71 to the plenum 27, this air duct means 79 having a generally
horizontal section 81, which may be referred to as an air box, a tubular inlet end
section 83 extending down from one end of section 81 into the circular hole 75 in
the closure 73, and an outlet end section 85 extending up from the other end of section
81 to opening 77 in the bottom wall of the plenum 27. The inlet end section 83 is
in communication at its upper end with section 81 and at its lower end with the outlet
71, and the inlet end section and the disk 73 are relatively rotatable in generally
sealed relation with respect to the circular hole 75 in the disk 73. The outlet end
section 85 is in communication at its lower end with section 81 and at its upper end
with the plenum 27 and the outlet end section and plenum are relatively rotatable
in generally sealed relation with respect to the opening in the bottom wall of the
plenum.
[0014] The outlet 71 comprises a casing 87 mounted on a spacer plate 89 at the top of the
base 11, the casing comprising a body 91 having a relatively shallow part 93 and
a part 95 of greater height than the part 93, the raised-height part 95 being generally
rectangular in plan as appears in Fig. 8. The body 91 is formed with a downwardly
opening recess 97 therein which is in communication with chamber 67 in the base 11
via an opening 99 in the spacer plate 89 and an opening in the top of the base, and
has a top wall 103 with an opening 105 therein which, as shown in Fig. 8, may be generally
in the form of a sector of a circle centered at A2. Secured in stationary relation
on top of the body 91 is a generally flat circular outlet top member constituted by
a disk 107 having an opening 111 registering with the opening 105 in the top wall
103 of the outlet body.
[0015] The axis of the rotary circular closure or disk 73 coincides with the central vertical
axis of the stationary or fixed disk 107. The closure disk is pivoted for oscillation
on this axis by means of a pin 113 threaded at its lower end as indicated at 115 secured
in a hole at the center of disk 107, the pin having a head 117 for holding the closure
disk down in place.
[0016] The rotary closure disk 73 overlies the fixed disk 107, with a clearance space 119
between the bottom surface 121 of the closure disk and the top surface 123 of the
fixed disk and the disks are formed to provide annular rotary surfaces at 125 all
around their periphery centered in axis A2, for inhibiting air from escaping at
the periphery of the disks from between the disks. For this purpose, the fixed disk
107 is provided with an annular groove 127 in the top thereof (i.e., extending down
from the top thereof) adjacent its periphery, and the rotary disk 73 is provided
with an annular flange 129 extending down from the bottom thereof adjacent its periphery.
The flange has a rotary fit in the groove such as to inhibit escape of air from between
the rotary disk and the fited disk at their periphery, i.e., its radially outer circular
face is contiguous to the radially outer circular face of the fixed disk in the groove
as indicated at 125a, and its radially inner circular face is contiguous to the radially
inner annular face of the fixed disk in the groove as indicated at 125b. The faces
at 125a and 125b are cylindrical surfaces. There is some clearance between the lower
edge of the flange and the bottom of groove 127 and between the bottom of disk 73
and the top of disk 107 outwardly of the groove and flange and also inwardly of the
groove and flange as appears in Fig. 5. The clearance or spacing between the disks
at 119 between the portions of the bottom face of disk 73 bounded by the flange and
outward of the flange and the bottom of the flange, on the one hand, and the portions
of the upper face of the disk 107 bounded by the groove 127 and outward of the groove
is maintained by providing a generally circular series of ball bearings 131 between
the disks held in place in a generally circular race or groove 133 in the upper face
of disk 107 and a generally circular race or groove 135 in the lower bottom face of
disk 73 adjacent and radially inward of the groove 127 and flange 129. The ball bearings
constitute anti-friction means between the two disks, the series extending on a circle
centered in axis A2 with the series adjacent the groove and flange and interrupted
as appears in Fig. 7 to accommodate bushing 83.
[0017] The horizontal section or "air box" 81 of the air duct means as shown is of box section,
having top and bottom walls 139 and 141, side walls 143 and 145, and curved end walls
147 and 149. The end portion of the air box toward the inlet end section 83 is tapered
as indicated at 151. The bottom wall 141 of the box 81 has an opening 153 at the inlet
end of the box for the upper end of the inlet end section 83 and the top wall of the
box 139 has an opening 155 at the other and outlet end of the box for the lower end
of the outlet end section 85. The inlet end section 83 of the air duct means 79 is
constituted by a length of tubular stock (e.g., brass stock), which may be referred
to as a bushing, having an external flange 157 intermediate its upper and lower ends.
The upper end of this section 83 above the flange fits in the hole 153 in the bottom
wall 141 of the air box 81 and the lower end of this section below the flange fits
in the opening 75 in the closure 73, the flange being sandwiched between and engaging
the top of the closure and the bottom of the box, acting as a spacer therebetween
. The upper end of the inlet end section or bushing 83 is press fitted (and thus sealed)
in the opening 153. The lower end of the air inlet section or bushing 83 below the
flange 157 extends down within the hole 75 in the disk 73 generally all the way to
the bottom of the disk 73 and is retained in the hole, while being rotatable in the
hole in generally sealed relation with respect to the disk 73, by a nut 159 threaded
up on the lower end of the bushing in a counterbore 161 at the lower end of the hole
and a lock nut 163. The outlet end section 85 of the air duct means 81 is constituted
by a length of tubular stock (e.g., brass stock), which may be referred to as a bushing,
having an external flange 165 intermediate its upper and lower ends. The lower end
of this bushing 85 below the flange 165 is press-fitted in the opening 155 in the
top wall of the air box 81 and the upper end of this section above the flange is rotatable
in the opening 77 in the bottom wall of the plenum in sealed relation thereto. The
flange 165 is sandwiched between and engages the top of the air box and the bottom
of the plenum, acting as a spacer therebetween.
[0018] With the air inlet section 83 of each air duct means 79 press-fitted at its upper
end in the opening 153 in the bottom wall of the respective horizontal air duct section
or air box 81 and the air outlet section 85 press-fitted at its lower end in the
opening 165 in the top of the air box 81, the sections 83, 81 and 85 together form
a unitary air duct identified in its entirety by the reference character 79. The parts
are so arranged that, with the mold-half carriers 7A and 7B in their closed position,
each closure disk 73 and air duct 79 carried thereby occupies a first position as
shown in Fig. 1 determined by the location of the center of the opening 77 in the
bottom wall of the plenum and outlet end section 85 of the duct relatively close to
the parting plane of the mold halves, and the length of the duct therebetween. In
the operation of the machine, the mold-half carriers or arms 7A and 7B are cyclically
swung between their open and closed positions for the bottle molding process. As each
carrier swings out from its closed to its open position, the plenum opening 77 and
the outlet end section 85 of the air duct means swing out an arc centered in the carrier
axis A1. The outlet end section 85 rotates relative to the plenum in the opening 77
in the latter, in sealed relation thereto. The air duct 79, comprising the duct
sections 81, 83 and 85, acting as a link between the respective carrier 7A or 7B and
the closure disk 73, rotates the closure disk to a second position such as illustrated
at the left of Fig. 2. The inner end section 83 of the air duct rotates relative to
the closure disk 73 in the hole 75 in the closure disk, in sealed relation thereto.
As each carrier swings back from its open to its closed position, the motion is reversed.
The inlet end section 83 of the air duct 79 is open at all times at its lower end
for flow of air from chamber 67 through the opening 99 in the spacer plate, the recess
97 in the body 91, the registering openings 105 and 111 in the top wall of the body
and the stationary disk, and thence through sections 83, 81 and 85 of the duct to
the plenum, air exiting from the plenum and flowing up through the passages 19 and
21 in the mold halves for cooling purposes as the mold halves move in or out and while
they dwell in the open or closed position. The arrangement is such as to allow for
the constant and relatively free flow of air from the chamber 67 to each of the plenums
despite the swing of the plenum about the axis A1.
[0019] It is to be observed that air delivered through opening 111 of the outlet means is
confined by the rotary closure disk 73 against escaping at the periphery of this disk
and flows directly up into the air inlet section 83 of the duct, flows up through
the inlet end section 83 to the horizontal section 81 of the duct, flows horizontally
through the horizontal section 81 to the air outlet section 85 of the duct, and thence
flows up through the latter to the plenum, the flow from the outlet to the plenum
essentially involving only two changes in the direction of flow. These are the change
from vertical to horizontal in passing from section 83 to section 81 and the change
from horizontal to vertical in passing from section 81 to section 85. Thus, pressure
drop from the outlet to the plenum is minimized, insofar as possible. Air is effectively
confined in the system by the closure disk 73 without undue resistance to its oscillation
(which as will appear from a comparison of the position of parts in Figs. 1 and 2
is through a relatively small angle), by reason of the anti-friction mounting of
the disk on the ball bearings 131 and the spacing thereby of the bottom surface 121
of the disk 73 from the top surface 123 of the fixed disk 107.
[0020] Fig. 9 illustrates a modification wherein the inlet end section or bushing 83 is
retained in the hole 75 in the closure disk 73 by means of a snap ring 167 snapped
into an annular peripheral groove 169 in the bushing 83 adjacent its lower end against
a spring washer 171.
[0021] The invention is described above as used for cooling the mold halves on the blank
molding side of the machine. It is also useful, essentially as described above, for
cooling mold halves used on the blank forming section of the machine. In the latter
case, means may be provided for molding the blank with a neck for the container and
a finish, e.g., a screw thread, in the neck, and Figs. 10-13 show an arrangement for
this purpose comprising blank mold halves 2A and 2B, and mating neck mold halves 4A
and 4B with special provision for cooling the neck mold halves. As shown, the blank
mold halves 2A and 2B are formed to provide, when they are closed, a cavity 6 for
molding the blank. Each of these has air passages 8 extending upwardly from the bottom
thereof corresponding to the air passages 19, 21 above described. One of the neck
mold halves fits in one of the blank mold halves and the other of fits in the other
blank mold half when the blank mold halves are closed. It will be understood that
the neck mold halves are carried by suitable arms such as indicated in phantom at
10 with means for opening and closing them. The neck mold halves are formed so that,
when closed, they define a cavity 12 for molding the neck with the requisite finish,
e.g., a screw thread. Each of the neck mold halves is provided with a plurality of
grooves such as indicated at 14 extending in vertical planes at the periphery thereof,
and each of the blank mold halves has passages such as indicated at 16 extending radially
inwardly from respective air passages 8 therein to the grooves for flow of air from
the respective air passages 8 to the grooves 12 and thence down in the grooves and
out at the bottom of the members 4A and 4B for cooling them. The grooves are conveniently
formed by use of a circular cutter as indicated at 18 in phantom in Fig. 13.
[0022] As best appears from Fig. 10, radial passages 16 are provided for half of the vertical
air passages 8. Thus, sixteen vertical passages 16 are shown in each mold half, and
only eight of these have the radial passages 8. As appears in Fig. 11, those vertical
passages 8 having the radial passages 16 associated therewith are fully open from
their lower end on up to their upper end, but it is also within the purview of the
invention to plug those vertical passages 8 having the radial passages 16 associated
therewith above the radial passages so that all of the air delivered to each blocked
vertical passage is directed through the radial passage for neck half cooling. It
may be observed that air is directed to the grooves 14 in the neck mold halves only
when the blank mold halves are closed with the neck mold halves clamped therein.
[0023] In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are
achieved and other advantageous results attained.
[0024] As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from
the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above
description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative
and not in a limiting sense.
1. A glassware forming machine comprising:
a pair of carriers each pivoted on a generally vertical axis for swinging movement
toward and away from each other between an open position and a closed position, a
plurality of mold members carried by each carrier, each mold member on each carrier
being related to a mold member on the other so that, with the carriers in their said
closed position, each mold member on one carrier mates with a mold member on the other
to define a mold cavity for molding an item of glass,
each mold member having air passages extending upwardly from the bottom thereof
for passage of air therethrough for cooling,
and means for blowing air through said air passages comprising:
a plenum carried by each carrier for delivering air to the air passages of the
mold members carried by the carrier, the mold members extending up from the plenum
and the plenum having ports at the top thereof for flow of air up into the passages
in the mold members and thence up through and out of said passages, means providing
a chamber below said carriers for air to be blown into the plenums and thence up through
said air passages, and
means for delivery of air from said chamber means to each plenum allowing swinging
of said carriers and comprising, for each carrier:
means defining an air outlet at the top of the chamber means,
said air outlet means having a generally flat top with an opening therethrough
in communication with said chamber for delivery of air from said chamber up through
said opening,
a generally flat circular closure for said outlet means oscillable on its center
on a generally vertical axis spaced from the carrier axis,
said closure overlying the opening in the top of the outlet means,
said closure and the top of the outlet means having adjacent annular surfaces
centered in the closure axis inhibiting air from escaping at the periphery of the
closure from between the closure and the top of the outlet means,
said circular closure having a circular hole extending therethrough from its
top to its bottom spaced from its axis, the plenum having a bottom wall with an opening
therein,
air duct means for flow of air from the outlet to the plenum having a generally
horizontal section, an inlet end section extending down from one end thereof into
the hole in the closure and an outlet end section extending up from the other end
thereof to the opening in the bottom wall of the plenum,
said inlet end section being in communication at its lower end with said outlet,
said inlet end section and said closure being relatively rotatable in generally
sealed relation with respect to the circular hole in the closure,
said outlet end section being relatively rotatable in generally sealed relation
with respect to the opening in the bottom wall of the plenum,
said circular closure being oscillable on its axis through an angle in one direction
from a first position to a second position on swinging of the respective plenum with
the respective carrier from open to closed position and back in the opposite direction
to its first position on swinging of the respective plenum with the respective carrier
back to open position,
air flowing up from said outlet passing directly upwardly through the inlet
end section to the horizontal section, thence through the horizontal section, and
thence up through the outlet end section of the air duct means to the plenum throughout
the range of oscillation of the closure.
2. A glassware forming machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein the closure comprises
a disk.
3. A glassware forming machine as set forth in claim 2 wherein the outlet has a generally
flat circular top member, the closure disk being rotary on said circular top member
with a clearance space therebetween, said top member having an opening therein for
delivery of air to said space from said chamber.
4. A glassware forming machine as set forth in claim 3 wherein the outlet comprises
a body mounted on top of said chamber means having a recess in communication with
the chamber provided by said chamber means, said top member comprising a disk fixed
on top of said body, said annular surfaces being provided by means of an annular groove
in one of said disks adjacent its periphery and an annular flange on the other extending
into the groove.
5. A glassware forming machine as set forth in claim 4 having anti-friction means
between the two disks.
6. A glassware forming machine as set forth in claim 5 wherein said clearance space
is maintained by having the rotary closure disk bear on said anti-friction means.
7. A glassware forming machine as set forth in claim 6 wherein the anti-friction means
comprises a circular series of ball bearings.
8. A glassware forming machine as set forth in claim 7 wherein said groove is in the
top of the fixed disk and said flange extends down from the rotary closure disk into
the groove.
9. A glassware forming machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cavity is a cavity
for molding a blank to be transferred to molding means for forming the blank into
a container and the machine is provided with means for molding the blank with a neck
for the container and a finish on the neck, said neck-molding means comprising a
pair of mating neck mold halves one of which fits in one of said mold members and
the other of which fits in the other of said mold members at the lower end thereof,
said neck mold halves when closed defining a cavity for the molding of the neck and
the finish, each of said neck mold halves having a plurality of grooves extending
vertically in the periphery thereof and each of said mold members having passages
extending inwardly from at least one of said air passages therein to the grooves in
the periphery of the neck mold halves for flow of air from said air passages to the
grooves and thence down in the grooves and out at the bottom of the mold members for
cooling the neck mold halves.
10. A glass container forming machine comprising:
a pair of carriers each pivoted on a first generally vertical axis for swinging
movement toward and away from each other between an open position and a closed position,
a plurality of mold members carried by each carrier, each mold member on each carrier
being related to a mold member on the other so that, with the carriers in their said
closed position, each mold member on one carrier mates with a mold member on the other
to define a mold cavity for molding a blank to be transferred to molding means for
forming the blank into a container,
each mold member having air passages extending upwardly from the bottom thereof
for passage of air therethrough for cooling,
means for blowing air through said air passages comprising:
a plenum carried by each carrier for delivering air to the air passages of the
mold members carried by the carrier, the mold members extending up from the plenum
and the plenum having ports at the top thereof for flow of air up into the passages
in the mold members and thence up through and out of said passages,
means providing a chamber below said carriers for air to be blown into the plenums
and thence up through said air passages, and
means for delivering of air from said chamber means to each plenum allowing
swing of the carriers,
said machine having means for molding the blank with a neck for the container
and a finish on the neck, said neck-molding means comprising a pair of mating neck
mold halves one of which fits in one of said mold members and the other of which fits
in the other of said mold members at the lower end thereof,
said neck mold halves when closed defining a cavity for the molding of the
neck and the finish,
each of said neck mold halves having a plurality of grooves extending vertically
in the periphery thereof, and
each of said mold members having passages extending inwardly from respective
air passages therein to the grooves in the periphery of the neck mold halves for flow
of air from said respective air passages to the grooves and thence down in the grooves
and out at the bottom of the mold members for cooling the neck mold halves.